Day 195 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - When You Understand How Little is True...
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Photo by Vladimir Kramer on Unsplash
Lesson 195: When You Understand How Little is True...
There has been a lot of focus on truth. Everything we have been taught or what we’ve come to understand, might not actually be true. Our thoughts are real to us and we come to believe in our truth. If we approach our thoughts with detachment, it peels back that truth. Today, we are to think about what’s true and what’s not, but also if it’s important or not. We are to look at everything we have been taught or told, to see if it’s correct for you.
You can really open up a can of worms dissecting your truth. To give a bit of background about myself: I was born in Singapore, I moved to Perth Western Australia when I was young, I was raised a Catholic, I was taught by my parents that going to University would get you a good job, I should always respect my elders, I was taught that animals are dirty and okay to eat, and that as a woman success includes getting married and having children. Obviously, there were a lot of things taught in school, friends and family along the way, but on this quick assessment, that’s what came to mind straight away. Many of things I have listed, I don’t actually agree with anymore but they were my truth and reality.
I don’t believe in any Catholic idealisms. I struggled with this for some time during my teenage years as I educated myself in the world and realised it didn’t really resonate with me. I am happy for those that believe in the teachings of the religion and build a way of life on it, but it didn’t really speak to my soul, so I just kind of renounced it.
I was taught that you weren’t successful unless you go to college or university and go find yourself a good job. This is simply not true. I think sure there are professions that need qualifications but I never really knew what I wanted to do in life until now. A lot of my work experience has been on the job. I didn’t actually need an education to have built my career in telecommunications. So, getting an education doesn’t necessarily take you where you want to go. The business I want to start has me learning a skill but not by formal education.
I don’t believe you should only respect your elders. I think everyone should respect each other regardless of age. In my Asian culture, there is this whole belief that you should always respect your elders and that they are right. I just simply do not find this true anymore. I used to very much believe it but I’ve grown into a thinking that everyone should be equal.
When I was growing up, my mum wouldn’t let my brother have certain pets because animals were considered dirty. I believe there was some religious belief that animals couldn’t be brought into the home. I guess there was that notion that animals are less than us or are a food source. I used to not like animals and didn’t like touching them because I had this belief that they were dirty. I have done a complete 180 on this though as I am a vegetarian and love animals. I don’t even care if an animal is dirty, I will pat and hug it. I don’t think like I used to.
The other truth I used to believe is that women are successful by getting married and having children. Again, this is deep rooted in my Asian culture. Last year when visiting family, one of the family friends asked me when I was getting married, like that was my only purpose in life. There was no point in trying to educate this person that I can be happy in other ways of my life because they had a very much old school style of thinking. It is so deeply rooted that trying to explain just wouldn’t make sense to them. I mean, when I was younger I thought how nice if I could be married and have children. Now that I’m 34 this year, and I don’t have a partner nor do I have children, I can tell myself that it’s okay that I don’t have either of these things, and it doesn’t define me either. I tolerate these people with this type of thinking but I just don’t believe in that limited reality.
There are my truths that are no longer my truth anymore. I think the most important thing I do for myself is really look educate myself or learn about other ways of thinking to expand my truth.
Take a look at your truths and see how you’ve evolved from it, or even accepted it and continue to keep is as your truth.